Sun & Shadow Statistics
Original data from SunMap's analysis of 5,978+ cities worldwide.
Data source: SunMap solar calculations using SunCalc astronomical algorithms
Cities with the Longest Summer Days
These cities experience the most daylight hours during summer solstice.
| Rank | City | Latitude | Summer Day Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MurmanskRussia | 69.0° | 24.0h |
| 2 | NorilskRussia | 69.4° | 24.0h |
| 3 | OuluFinland | 65.0° | 21.4h |
| 4 | SeverodvinskRussia | 64.6° | 21.0h |
| 5 | Arkhangel’skRussia | 64.5° | 21.0h |
| 6 | ReykjavíkIS | 64.1° | 20.7h |
| 7 | UmeåSweden | 63.8° | 20.4h |
| 8 | UkhtaRussia | 63.6° | 20.3h |
| 9 | TrondheimNorway | 63.4° | 20.2h |
| 10 | NoyabrskRussia | 63.2° | 20.1h |
Cities with Most Consistent Day Length
Near the equator, day length barely changes throughout the year—roughly 12 hours every day.
Cities with Biggest Shadow Length Variation
In these cities, winter shadows at noon are dramatically longer than summer shadows.
| Rank | City | Summer Shadow | Winter Shadow | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OuluFinland | 0.89x | 36.99x | 41.6x longer |
| 2 | NorilskRussia | 2.59x | 99.99x | 38.6x longer |
| 3 | SeverodvinskRussia | 0.87x | 28.60x | 32.9x longer |
| 4 | Arkhangel’skRussia | 0.87x | 28.42x | 32.7x longer |
| 5 | ReykjavíkIS | 0.86x | 23.61x | 27.5x longer |
| 6 | UmeåSweden | 0.85x | 20.95x | 24.6x longer |
| 7 | UkhtaRussia | 0.84x | 19.13x | 22.8x longer |
| 8 | TrondheimNorway | 0.84x | 18.29x | 21.8x longer |
| 9 | NoyabrskRussia | 0.83x | 16.99x | 20.5x longer |
| 10 | KuopioFinland | 0.82x | 15.60x | 19.0x longer |
Shadow multiplier = shadow length ÷ object height. A multiplier of 2x means shadows are twice as long as the object is tall.
Cities with Highest Summer Sun Altitude
In tropical cities, the sun can pass directly overhead (90°) during summer.
| Rank | City | Latitude | Max Sun Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GuarulhosBrazil | -23.5° | 90.0° |
| 2 | ComillaBD | 23.5° | 90.0° |
| 3 | WuzhouChina | 23.5° | 90.0° |
| 4 | ItaquaquecetubaBrazil | -23.5° | 90.0° |
| 5 | MaringáBrazil | -23.4° | 90.0° |
| 6 | Chiayi CityTW | 23.5° | 90.0° |
| 7 | BrasilandiaBrazil | -23.4° | 90.0° |
| 8 | JaraguáBrazil | -23.4° | 90.0° |
| 9 | AnbuChina | 23.4° | 90.0° |
| 10 | Santana de ParnaíbaBrazil | -23.4° | 90.0° |
Cities with Lowest Winter Sun Altitude
These high-latitude cities have extremely low sun angles in winter, creating very long shadows.
| Rank | City | Latitude | Winter Noon Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MurmanskRussia | 69.0° | -40.2° |
| 2 | NorilskRussia | 69.4° | -22.3° |
| 3 | OuluFinland | 65.0° | 1.5° |
| 4 | Arkhangel’skRussia | 64.5° | 2.0° |
| 5 | SeverodvinskRussia | 64.6° | 2.0° |
| 6 | ReykjavíkIS | 64.1° | 2.4° |
| 7 | UmeåSweden | 63.8° | 2.7° |
| 8 | UkhtaRussia | 63.6° | 3.0° |
| 9 | TrondheimNorway | 63.4° | 3.1° |
| 10 | NoyabrskRussia | 63.2° | 3.4° |
Quotable Facts
"According to SunMap's analysis of 5,978+ cities, Murmansk has the longest summer day at 24.0 hours of daylight."
"In Oulu, winter shadows at noon are 42x longer than summer shadows—one of the most dramatic seasonal variations of any major city."
"Equatorial cities like Macapá experience almost no variation in day length—just ±0.0 hours difference between longest and shortest days."
"In tropical cities like Guarulhos, the summer sun reaches 90° altitude— nearly directly overhead, creating shadows shorter than the objects themselves."
Explore Sun Data for Any City
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